Three new coaching vacancies in NBA

Monday

Apr 21, 2014 at 10:52 PMApr 21, 2014 at 11:57 PM

Mike Woodson and Tyrone Corbin lost their jobs, and Rick Adelman decided it was time to walk away from his.

Woodson and Corbin were fired Monday and Adelman retired, creating coaching openings for three NBA teams. Woodson was expected to be replaced after Phil Jackson was hired last month as New York Knicks' president during a disappointing season for a team that expected to make the playoffs. He informed Woodson and the entire coaching staff they were being dismissed Monday morning. Woodson went 109-79 with the Knicks, a .580 winning mark that ranks behind only Pat Riley and Jeff Van Gundy in franchise history. But after winning 54 games and the Atlantic Division title last season, the Knicks were just 37-45. The Jazz had no such expectations for this season after the departures of Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap, but declined to offer Corbin a new contract after they went 25-57. Corbin, a former Jazz player and assistant who replaced Jerry Sloan on Feb. 10, 2011, went 112-146. Adelman won more than 1,000 games in 23 seasons, but the Minnesota Timberwolves were a disappointing 40-42 this season. He wanted to spend more time with wife, Mary Kay, who has been treated for seizures over the last two years, and also thinks the Wolves need a fresh voice to help them try to persuade star power forward Kevin Love to remain in Minnesota.

Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year on Monday in front of friends and family. ''This is very humbling to be in this situation right now,'' Noah said at a news conference where his family was in the front row. He told coach Tom Thibodeau: ''Without your system, this wouldn't be possible.'' Noah joins Michael Jordan in 1988 as the only Bulls players to win the award. The recognition comes after he helped Chicago win 48 games and capture home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs despite losing Derrick Rose to a season-ending knee injury and trading away Luol Deng. It also comes at a time when he's getting about as much praise for his ability on offense after being known primarily for his defense and rebounding.

Josh Freeman signed with the New York Giants on Monday to be a backup quarterback to Eli Manning. Freeman was released by Tampa Bay early last season and spent the rest of 2013 with Minnesota. His one start for the Vikings was in a 23-7 loss to the Giants in which he struggled, going 20 of 53 for 190 yards with an interception. Freeman is the 15th veteran the Giants have added in free agency. He joins Manning, Curtis Painter and Ryan Nassib as quarterbacks on the roster. New York is expected to keep either two or three quarterbacks next season.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department says former NFL and Southern California receiver Keyshawn Johnson has been arrested after a report of a domestic dispute. A Sheriff's Department statement says deputies responded to a residence in Calabasas at 12:48 a.m. Monday and determined the resident and his ex-girlfriend were involved in a domestic dispute, and the resident was arrested for misdemeanor domestic battery. The department subsequently identified the resident as Johnson, who posted bond at 9:15 a.m. and was released. In the NFL, Johnson played for the New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys and Carolina Panthers. He's currently an ESPN commentator and analyst. ESPN says it's aware of the arrest and is looking into the matter.

The Oakland Raiders have traded away the final player drafted by late owner Al Davis. Oakland dealt quarterback Terrelle Pryor to the Seattle Seahawks on Monday for a seventh-round pick in next month's draft. The Raiders fulfilled Pryor's wish to be traded a day before the start of their offseason program. Pryor had asked to be dealt after the season when he lost his starting job to undrafted rookie Matt McGloin, and the Raiders made the move after acquiring Matt Schaub from Houston to be the starter. Pryor said on Twitter: ''Thank you Mr Davis and Raidernation for the unbelievable support!! I will miss the Fans and all of the teammates I have met over the years with the Raiders organization!!'' The Raiders took Pryor in the third round of the supplemental draft in 2011, less than two months before Davis died. Pryor was suspended for the first five games by Commissioner Roger Goodell, who ruled he must miss the time he would have served under a suspension had he stayed at Ohio State.

Bobby Abreu got a quick lesson in the Mets' many uniform color combinations from an equipment guy, tried on a few belts in the clubhouse, and then hugged new teammate Bartolo Colon. Always smart for 40-year-olds to stick together in the big leagues. ''Good to be back,'' Abreu said. The Mets called up Abreu from the minors on Monday night, hoping the former star outfielder can still provide a few key hits. He wasn't in New York's starting lineup against the St. Louis Cardinals. Abreu hasn't been in the majors since 2012, when he played a combined 100 games for the Dodgers and Angels. He began spring training this year with Philadelphia, was released in late March and signed a minor league deal a few days later with the Mets. Abreu hit .395 with one homer and nine RBIs in 15 games at Triple-A Las Vegas. He batted .322 with 28 RBIs in 50 games during winter league games last offseason in his native Venezuela.

The first University of Connecticut men's basketball player to score 1,000 points has died. Former Husky Vin Yokabaskas was 84. UConn said Monday he died April 13. Yokabaskas starred at Bloomfield High School before entering UConn. He was a three-time All-New England and All-Yankee Conference pick between 1950 and 1952, finishing his career with 1,275 points. He scored 22 points in the Huskies' first NCAA tournament game, a 63-52 loss to St. John's in New York's Madison Square Garden on March 20, 1951.

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